Military personnel may be faced with numerous types of threats from hostile parties. Rocket-propelled grenades (RPGs) are often a weapon of choice for hostile parties. RPGs typically consist of a rocket with a warhead attached and may be launched from a handheld launcher. RPGs may be effective against armored vehicles, helicopters, and structures. The relatively low cost, portability, and lethality of the weapon makes RPGs a formidable threat to friendly forces.
One method for guarding against these types of threats is to attempt to destroy an incoming RPG with an explosive force and/or fragments from a defensive rocket or weapon. These types of defensive weapons are designed to intercept the incoming RPG and destroy the rocket via impact, explosion, or fragments or other debris from exploding the defensive weapon in close proximity to the RPG. Similarly, existing solutions include utilizing fixed barriers or rapidly deployable barriers to fixed structures or vehicles in an effort to contact and prematurely detonate the incoming RPG prior to contact with the intended target. One drawback to these types of defensive weapons and fixed barrier solutions is that the explosions and resulting shrapnel from these weapons or from the exploding RPG have the potential to damage friendly structures, vehicles, or to injure friendly personnel or innocent bystanders.
Another existing solution to an RPG attack includes utilizing a projectile or other countermeasure to dud the warhead by crushing the nose cone of the incoming RPG to short out the fuse coupled to the warhead. This method may be effective against dated RPGs that rely on the nose cone to supply electrical current to the fuse of the weapon. However, more recent RPGs utilize insulated electrical wires that prevent this type of electrical short when the nose cone is crushed or damaged.
Other solutions attempt to catch or detonate an incoming RPG utilizing a structure that is attached or otherwise fixed to a defensive projectile. For example, a rigid or semi-rigid barrier may be deployed from a forward portion of a countermeasure rocket to engage an incoming RPG. However, because of the nature of these barriers and because of the attachment location on the forward portion of the rocket, these countermeasure systems may be destabilizing to the rocket at deployment. To overcome the stability issues the size, weight, and corresponding cost and complexity of these systems may be significant.
Similarly, other countermeasure rockets may tow a barrier behind the intercepting rocket in order to engage the incoming RPG. However, towing barriers behind a rocket creates an inordinate amount of drag that slows the rocket, potentially preventing interception of the incoming RPG at a safe distance from the aircraft, vehicle, or structure being protected. This towed configuration additionally requires a larger rocket motor, which may increase the size, cost, and complexity of the countermeasures system. Additionally, there may be a potential for the exhaust gases from the countermeasure rocket to burn through a portion of the towed barrier, reducing the effectiveness of the system.
It is with respect to these considerations and others that the disclosure made herein is presented.